


Not-So-Imaginary Universe

by Hyx_Sydin



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 12:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6052165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyx_Sydin/pseuds/Hyx_Sydin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow Rodney ends up in another universe, a better one; he'd really like to stay!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not-So-Imaginary Universe

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Imaginary Universe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3348143) by [Tarlan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan). 



> Found this the other day in my notebook. It doesn't exactly follow Tarlan's fic but... it's not like it's a sequel or something.
> 
> Tarlan, hope you like it, and that it isn't an insult to an otherwise brilliant fic.
> 
>  
> 
> Gave it a cursory read through, so there are probably errors - apologies.

Rodney looked up from the panel he had been working on, heart seizing when he realized Bates was no longer in the room. A chuckle from somewhere ground level had him glancing over, his mind not comprehending what it was seeing as he recalled a name almost forgotten – John Sheppard. 

The other man was sitting on the floor reading a comic; he seemed relaxed and comfortable. Not sure what exactly was going on, and not wanting to alert the other man to his presence, Rodney shrunk into himself in the corner of the room with his tablet clutched tight. 

Once sure that he was as small as possible, he woke up his tablet’s screen having to immediately suppress the noise of shock he might have made; the tablet’s background was a picture of himself and John Sheppard, smiling at each other dare he say it lovingly, both dressed in suits on a beach somewhere. 

It was then that he noticed the ring on his left hand ring finger and in the picture on his tablet, there was an identical ring on John Sheppard’s finger – they were married? Feeling a panic attack approaching because _what the hell was going on, where was he, or maybe even when_ he accessed Atlantis’ database, not surprised to find it better set up than the one he had accessed that morning in his own reality. 

There were years of mission reports, from more teams than those who had originally arrived on Atlantis. Glancing in the direction where the other man was sitting still absorbed in his comic, he went straight for the reports of what happened immediately after their arrival on Atlantis, and what he found shocked him. 

Sumner was dead! John Sheppard and a Lieutenant Ford had mounted a rescue using something called a puddlejumper, and had returned all of the people taken by the Wraith including the leader of the Athosian’s, a Teyla Emmagan. Skimming through more of Sheppard’s team’s reports, which had initially consisted of Sheppard, Ford, Teyla and _himself_ , and now included a person called Ronon (he found himself wondering what had happened to Ford) he was amazed to see the repercussions that one change in events could bring about.

“Rodney, everything still okay?” a voice called out to him. 

Gulping his mind raced, _what if the other man realised he was an imposter_ , not sure how else to respond, he muttered, “Yeah yeah, trying to work here.”

The other man huffed but made no move to check on him, breath gusting out in relief he continued his skimming of mission reports, eager to know about this brighter Atlantis. And Atlantis was brighter; the lights bright enough to light up every corner of the room. 

This Atlantis was vastly better than the one he came from and he wished to remain, despite the fact that he was apparently married to a man. A reckless, self-sacrificing flyboy who had unruly hair, warm eyes and clearly loved him, Rodney thought as he scrolled through a folder marked ‘John’ – it was filled with pictures of the other man, many of them in what looked like shared quarters. 

There was another folder, this one unnamed, but also full of pictures; there were ones of Rodney around the city or on missions, his sister Jeannie with a man he supposed was her husband and a young girl (he appeared in some of these looking happy), there were also group pictures showing a tall man with dreads and a peculiar tattoo in his neck, a beautiful woman with a serene smile and pleasant eyes, and sometimes there was another man and a little boy with her. 

He found himself jealous of the life this Rodney lived; a happy marriage, a good relationship with his sister, friends! As well as a safe Atlantis and Pegasus Galaxy, safe because they were winning the war against the Wraith and had many allies. 

Not sure how long he had in this reality and wanting to enjoy it while he could, he stood calling out to the other man. Between one blink and the next, he found himself staring at Peter Grodin, dead in the other universe in an attempt to destroy Wraith hive ships headed for Atlantis, who was looking at him worriedly. 

“Doctor McKay,” Grodin said as if not for the first time, “shall I call Doctor Beckett?” Beckett was also dead in the other reality, exploding tumours of all things, only to be replaced by a clone created by someone named Michael.

“No no, I’m fine,” he mumbled, knowing he wasn’t being very reassuring but not caring; there were things he needed to do. A glance at the laptop before him showed that the other Rodney had discovered what had happened to this John Sheppard. 

Bringing up a blank document on his laptop, he started making notes of everything he remembered from the other galaxy. His most important task now was to find the Wraith called Guide and find a way to remind him that he was in fact John Sheppard, Atlantis’ saviour.


End file.
